My goal is not to win, but to have fun.But since winning is fun, I can't help but to make winning my goal.--Bear killing axe-man was meant to be what it's name suggests - a killer unit. Sadly, there were no bears to kill in Alteil.

One of the central arguments for the legalization of abortion is that regardless of legality, abortions will happen. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days applies this line of thinking to the context of 1987 Romania where abortion had been banned 20 years previous. Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) spends a day of her life assisting her immature roommate Gabriela 'Gabita' Dragut (Laura Vasiliu) with the clandestine procedure, working through complications in the process but ultimately having a more difficult time dealing with the trauma of the event on a personal level.

Much of 4 months’ power comes from its sobriety. The film is shot simply, with handheld cameras almost always fixed in position. Most scenes consist of one shot without interruption or digression. Nothing is hidden, and there is no cutting away from the intensity of the situation at any time, which makes 4 Months painfully confrontational but also emotionally direct during every moment. In this bleak situation, the viewers are just as incapable of running from the film’s horrors as its heroines are.

Due to this ostensibly-simple-though-actually-quite-accomplished method of filmmaking, 4 Months is forced to rely on its actors' and actresses' performances for strength. Fortunately, the characters in the film are universally moving. While Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), hired to perform the abortion, may hinder the women’s progress, in no point is he or anyone else villainized. Rather, his exasperation seems honest and human. There are no bad guys, the film seems to say, only bad situations. This faith in the world is both honest and heartbreaking considering the women's situation, but most importantly, it has more than a bit of truth to it.

While other films may be just as engaging due to wit or sheer spectacle, few have ever been as affecting on an emotional level.